UPND’s Haimbe Says Early Vote Counting Trends Encouraging for President Hichilema

United Party for National Development (UPND) National Management Committee Member Mulambo Haimbe says early indications from vote counting centres across the country are encouraging for President Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr. Haimbe said the trends being reported from tallying centres point to what he described as a strong performance for the President.

He said voter turnout has been high in Southern, Western and North-Western Provinces, while the picture in Central Province is favourable, with gains for President Hichilema also being reported in Northern Province.

Mr. Haimbe said the overall voter turnout appears to be settling closer to what he described as the Zambian norm.

However, he stressed that these are only early indications and not election results.

Mr. Haimbe said, under the Constitution, only the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has the authority to declare the outcome of a presidential election.

He said the UPND has not declared, and will not declare, the election results, adding that the party will wait for the ECZ and has called on all political parties, candidates and their supporters to do the same.